Beethoven’s five piano concertos have long been hailed as masterpieces of the genre. Analysts have particularly highlighted Beethoven’s handling of form and the unique ways in which he cultivates the genre’s characteristic opposition of soloist and orchestra. However, the longstanding focus on form has tended to obscure other crucial elements of these works. Beethoven designed his piano concertos to showcase his own highly distinctive approach to an instrument that was undergoing significant technological change. Reconsidering accounts of Beethoven’s pianism and piano preferences, this talk asks: How, precisely, does the Fourth Piano Concerto exploit the techniques, idioms, expressive devices, and sounds of the pianos at Beethoven’s disposal, and what implications does this have for the way we hear this music today?